Water power



March zo, 192k,

c.v RAMsDELL WATER POWER Filed July' 23. 1926 4 sheet-sheet 1 am I 1.

C. RAM-SDELL March 20, 1928.

WATER POWER Filed July 23.. 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 www@ Rwnsduamw@ @Hor/mug@ March 928,

C. RAMSDELL WATER POWER Filed July 23. 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 C Summa/1to1,

March 20, 1928. r

i c. RAMSDYELL WATER PwER Filed July 255. 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Suunto/c Patented Mar. `20, 1928.

- vUNITED safari-:srl PATENT ortica.

cHaUNeEY aAMsDELI., or.

' WATER Application led July 23,

This invention aims to provide a novelwater power, as many of the units or water wheels, as is desired, being used, one down stream from the other. V Y The invention aims -to provide novel means whereby each water wheel is rendered 1noperative at the will of the person 1n control.

It is within the province ofthe disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of thattype to whlch the invention appertains.

lVith the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made with in the scope of whatis claimed, Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawingsz- Figure 1 shows in vertical longitudina sections, a device constructed in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a. top plan;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing some of the blades of the water wheel retracted;

Figure 4 is a sectional view showing the anti-friction mounting for the gage; l

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing a portion of one of the blades;

Figure 6 is an elevation of the Water wheel, parts being broken away and parts appearing in section;

Figure 7 is a section on the line 7-.7 of Figure 6 with added details;

Figure 8 is a view similar to-Figure 7 bu showing the parts as they will appear when the latch has been detached fromL the spoke of the water wheel. v

Figure 9 is a sectional view showing the parts as they will appear when the blades are about to be released at the bottom of the Wheel, for downward movement. v

In carrying out the invention, there is i provided a supporting structure 1, including a dam 2 and wing walls 3, the supporting structure including an apron 4 'the walls of which are denoted by the numeral 14, the walls being carried upwardly along the face of the dam 2,v as shownat 15. -The dam'2 has a concaved face 6, and a portion of the apron 4 is also concaved, as shown at' 7. Along the concaved faces 6 and 7 of the dam roans'rviLLn; NEW Yoax.

POWER.

1926.l Serial No. 124,453.

2 and of the apronf4, respectively, extends a strong metal plate 8, forming part of the dam 2, the plate 8 having an opening 9 communicating with an opening 5 which extends through the dam 2. Thev plate 8 has guides 1()` and carries rollers 11. A heavy gate 12 slides in the guides 10 in engagement with the rollers 11, the gate controlling the opening 9 through which the water flows to the water wheelv hereinafter described.

The gate 12 tends to .move to closedV position by gravity and due to the water rushing through the opening' 9. In order that the' gate 12 may be raised by anf operator, flexible elements 16 are attached to the gate, and are extended upwardly; the iiexible elements. 16 being woundY about drums 17 on. a shaft 18 supported `for. rotationfon bearings 19 carried by the wing walls 3. The shaft 18 may be4 rotated'by means of cranks. 20, or inV any other suitable way, and pawl and ratchet mechanisms 21 prevent retrograde rotation of the shaft 18. and the drums 17. Obviously, by rotating the shaft 18, the operator can reel in or pay out the vflexible elements 16, and in this way, the gate 12 may be raised or lowered soas to control the eiiective size of the opening Y9,' or to close the opening. A float 22 is, supported on the water behind the darn 2, and the ioat is connected to the gate l12 by a flexible element 23 having branches 24 whichr are connected to the float 22` By they time that the waterhas Y attained the level indicated in Figure 1, .the float 22 and the'lines v24 and 23 'will rhave pulled the gate 12 to an open position, if the operator has not already opened the gate by means of the flexible kelement l16 and attendant parts. The result is that the water will never rise high enough to run over the crest of the dam, and yother` undesirable consequenceswill be avoided. i p

lBearings 25 `.are` erectedA on the walls v14, and inthe bearings 25, theshaft 26 of a' water wheel is journaled.l The shaft26carries hubs 27 from which project spokes 28 A' carrying outer stop collars 29 and inner stopk walls 34, a circumferentially extended lip being disposed outwardly ofthe collars V29, the construction being such thatV each blade of the water wheel can have a radial movement on the spokes 28. Guides 49, shown in Figure 7, are mounted on the body 33 ofthe water wheel blade near to each side thereof.

Y tion of the water wheel.

In the guides 40, a slide 41 is mounted for` right-line reciprocation, each slide being supplied with an angular latch 42 extended throughan opening 43 in the body 33 of the water wheel blade, Y the latch 42 being adapted to engage in the seat 31 or in the seat 32, under the impulse of a compression spring `44 surrounding the slide 41, one end ofthe spring 44 abutting against one of the guides 40, and sion spring abutting against the latch 42, as shown in Figures 7 and 8 lof the drawings.

Releasing levers 45 are fulcrumed at 46 on the walls 14 andare supplied intermediate their ends `with short outstanding arms 47 whereon rollers 48 arejournaled. Rack bars 49 are pivoted to the upper ends of the levers 45, and the rackbars mesh with pinions 50 carried by a shaft 51 journaled in bearings 52 on the dam 2, the pinions 50 being driven by smallgear wheels 53 journaled on the bearings 52 and operated by cranks 54.. The arms 47 and the `roller 48 at `each side of the structure, are located above the center of rotation of the water wheel. Levers `55 are fulcrumed at 56 on the walls 14 and carry rollers 57, located below the center of rota- The levers 55 are operatedby a mechanism which is like that employed for operating the levers 45, and, therefore, the operating mechanism for the levers 45' is designated generally in the ings by the numeral 58. ,i

`Suppose that th latches 42 are engaged in theseats 32, as shown in Figure 7. Then all of the. blades of theuwater wheel areheld out to the periphery of the water wheel- The levers 45 and 55 are in such positions that the rollers 48 and 57 cannot engage the outer ends of the slides 41. Then, the water flowing'through the opening 9 in the Vface plate 8,v will be received in the pockets 37, and the wheel, operating as an undershot wheel, will deliver the power. When it is desired to stop the operation of the wheel, the levers 45 may be operated by means bars 49, the pinions, the shaft 51, the gear the inner eyes 38 being disposed between the collars 29 and 30, and the outer eyes 39` the other end of the compres? drawof the rack y wheels 53, and the crank `54, lto swing the levers 45 to such a position that the roller or projection 48 is in the path of the outer end of the slide 41, as delineated in Figure 8. Then, as the wheelrotates, the latches 42 will be, disengaged from the seats 32, and the water wheel blades will slide inwardly at the top of thewheel, one after another, into the position shown at 59 in Figure 3. When the blades slide into the position shown at 59, the latches 42 engage in the seats 31 of the spokes 28, and the blades'will be held in the position to which they have slid, inwardly, the eyes 38 cooperating with the collars 30 to stop the inward movement of the blades, and to en-` able the latches 42 to enter the seats 31. By

the time that the wheelhas made a complete revolution, all of the blades of the water Wheel will have been retracted, and the water proceeding through the opening 9 will have practically `no effect in rotating the water the rollers 57, cooperating with the slides 41,V

will detach the latches 42 from theseats 31, the blades at the bottom of the wheel dropping downwardly by gravity and the latches' 42 engaging again in the seats 32. Figure 9 of the drawings shows oneof the rollers in `position to cooperate with the outer end -of one of the slides 41, thereby to cause the latch to be disengaged and to permitthe blade at the bottom of the wheel to drop downwardly, as aforesaid;` A slight rotation may be imparted to the wheel, to cause the roller 57 to operate the first one of the slides 41l and to permit one of the blades of the water wheel to slide downwardly, and, thereafter, thewheel will rotate due to the impulse of the water, the outer ends of the slides 41 coming, one after another, into contact with the rollers 57. i i

The construction of the device is such that when all of the blades are retracted as shown at 59 in Figure 3, the water can still pass through the openingl 9 and move down stream to operate another` water wheel of the kind hereinbefore described. a A i Referring particularly. to Figure 1, it is to be observed that the ioat 22is connected to the wing walls 3 by iexible elements 60, such as chains, inwhich'there is a little 60 is to limit the downward movement of the float and to suspend the float when the waterV has fallen considerably. It is undesirable to have the float 22 move down too far with the receding water, because the line 23 may get too much slack in it and be sucked into theropening 9, thereby interfering with `the handling of the gate 12,01"A interfering with the operation of the Water wheel.`

What is claimed is f i `l. A water `,wheel comprising a frame,

blades slidably mounted on the frame, latches connecting the blades with the frame to hold the blades advanced and to hold the blades retracted, levers, and fulcra therefor, each lever being under the control of an operator, one lever being movable into the path of the latches When the blades are advanced and near the top of the Wheel, thereby to permit the bladesto slide toward the center of the wheel, the other lever being movable into the path of the latches when the blades are retracted and near to t-he bottom of the Wheel, thereby to permit the blades to slide toward the periphery of the Wheel.

2. A Water Wheel comprising a frame, blades slidably mounted on the frame and having openings, guides on the blades, slides movable in the guides in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the Water Wheel and having latches movable in the openings, the frame having seats which are spaced' apart radially ofthe Wheel,

springs on the slides and engaging the guides.V and the latches to hold the latches in the seats, thereby to maintain the blades yadvanced and to maintain the blades retracted, means under the control of an operator for engaging the slides to release the latches When the blades are advanced and near to the top of the Wheel, thereby to permit the blades to slide toward the center of the wheel, and means under the control of an operator for releasing the latches when the blades are retracted and near to the bottom of the Wheel, thereby to permit the blades to slide toward the periphery of the Wheel.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto xed my signature. .CHAUNCEY RAMSDELL. 

